Crash test dummy (anyone got a frame going cheap?)

[Bryan]

Hi,

Well finally on Friday my worst fears came true. Cycleing home a car turned right, across a whole string of stationary traffic, about 5 ft in front of me, then stopped when aped. just carried on walking. Result, me hitting the passenger door (quite a nice dent), frame crumpling beneath me (whilst I was still on the bike), and me gravel surfing. Fortunately I was ok, apart from a couple of grazes to my knee, but the frame is a write off.

So a couple of questions. I've had a few accidents in my 20 odd years of rigding bikes, and couple of these have been a t quite high speed. I was quite surprised that the frame (531) bent so severly given that I was only going about 10mph at the time of impact. (the down tube and cross tube are very bent). Should this have happened? or is it the result of a badly built frame?

I now need to replace the frame, does anyone know of any shops in south London where I can get a reasonably priced 531 touring frame (well any frame for 700c wheels and pannier braze ons)? Or does any one have one sitting at home in need of a good home


Bryan

 

[Frank X]

"Bryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> Well finally on Friday my worst fears came true. Cycleing home a car turned right, across a whole
> string of stationary traffic, about 5 ft in front of me, then stopped when aped. just carried on
> walking. Result, me hitting the passenger door (quite a nice dent), frame crumpling beneath me
> (whilst I was still on the bike), and me gravel surfing. Fortunately I was ok, apart from a couple
> of grazes to my knee, but the frame is a write off.
>
> So a couple of questions. I've had a few accidents in my 20 odd years of rigding bikes, and couple
> of these have been a t quite high speed. I was quite surprised that the frame (531) bent so
> severly given that I was only going about 10mph at the time of impact. (the down tube and cross
> tube are very bent). Should this have happened? or is it the result of a badly built frame?
>

Pretty much any head on collision will ruin a frame, it only needs a little crumple under the
downtube at the junction with the head tube meets the frame. I've ruined 531 frames like this in
collisions where I haven't even fallen off the bike.

> I now need to replace the frame, does anyone know of any shops in south London where I can get a
> reasonably priced 531 touring frame (well any frame for 700c wheels and pannier braze ons)? Or
> does any one have one sitting at home in need of a good home
>
Chris Compton in Catford is OK, and Geoffrey Butler in Croydon is OK if you don't mind being served
by a Ben Elton look-alike.
>
> Bryan
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

[Anonymous]

"Bryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

this may appear a little rude since your pride and joy has just been mushed, but how big is the
frame and are the forks ok? (531 frames can break and leave the forks unscarred - I've done this
more than once...) The rude bit is I'm after a pair of forks...

cheers, clive

 

[Arthur Clune]

Bryan <[email protected]> wrote:

: So a couple of questions. I've had a few accidents in my 20 odd years of rigding bikes, and couple
: of these have been a t quite high speed. I was quite surprised that the frame (531) bent so
: severly given that I was only going about 10mph at the time of impact. (the down tube and cross
: tube are very bent). Should this have happened? or is it the result of a badly built frame?

Thing is, it's impossible to tell. A high speed crash can leave a bike un-harmed if it slides along
without coming to an abrupt stop. A dead stop from 10mph can indeed crumple the frame of even a well
built frame. Though it may not. It just depends on how you hit.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

 

[Dave Kahn]

On 30 Jun 2003 19:30:33 +0950, Bryan <[email protected]> wrote:

>I now need to replace the frame, does anyone know of any shops in south London where I can get a
>reasonably priced 531 touring frame (well any frame for 700c wheels and pannier braze ons)? Or does
>any one have one sitting at home in need of a good home

What's this "reasonably priced" bit? Isn't the motorist's insurance company going to pay for your
new frame?

--
Dave...